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Flashing Lights/Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen: Camera Shy “Last time on Total Drama Island: For Your Entertainment,” Rachel Claire stood in front of the camera doing her best Chris McLean impression. “There was more drama, more celebrities, and more romance… insert creepy laugh here.” The reporter gave the camera an eye roll and a sneer before continuing. “The episode started off with another peek into Minerva’s blog show, which Monique quickly ruined with her talk about hormonal teenagers. Then, Isaac tried to get Angel to decide between Avery and Cara for him, and Ophelia dragged Victor onto the roof for a rather romantic sunrise. At breakfast, Avery realized that Allison was jealous of Isaac and Angel’s friendship, and Cara and Isaac made up. But none of that is really important, because once they were done eating they met up with a real superstar: me! “I brought them to their vampires vs. prey vs. werewolves challenge, judged by special guest Edmund Sullen. In the first part of the challenge, the vampires had to bite the prey. Some, like Irina and Paul, took the romantic vampire approach, while others… well, not so much.” Clips of Monique biting Isaac and Avery shoving Minerva’s face into the floor played side by side on the screen. “The next part of the challenge was a game of werewolf hide and seek. Allison was the only Oscar player with a fighting chance, though her attempts were completely crushed by Wes's unexpected speed. Avery came up with a plan to use Donna, queen of bad luck, to throw Wes off of his game and get the attention of the wonderful judge… me again! "Edmund chose Avery as best vampire, and even though Wes technically won the werewolf part, I gave the victory to Allison for her participation in Avery’s scheme. In the end, it was Victor and Ophelia in the bottom two despite the actor’s promise that they’d both be safe. Victor was voted off and literally dragged off the set, leaving Ophelia in hysterics. But enough about them, this is the episode celebrating the beauty of me and my magazine!” Rachel Claire gave the camera a moneymaking grin. “Who’ll survive a celebrity’s lifestyle? Find out this time on Total… Drama… Island: For Your Entertainment!” There was somebody grabbing her arms and telling her that she had to go home. But that was not home. There was something missing. As they pulled her out of the dirt, somebody started to scream. It might have been her. She wasn’t really sure. She kicked and thrashed as they dragged her away from the ground that had become a grave. A lone pale figure hovered behind the group, eyes peeking out from a curtain of dark hair. It was someone that she used to know, a ghost of sorts. She snarled in the ghost’s direction. If she felt bad for her, why wasn’t she doing anything? Why would she try to get rid of him? Why wouldn’t she bring him back? They entered a building and a room lined with figures. She was trapped, surrounded in eyes on both sides. Soft brown ones, frightened bright blue, cold gray. All trailed after her as one of the men dragging her picked her up to climb the stairs. There was a pair of eyes missing, though. Prince Charming wasn’t there. It’s a dream. Just a dream. One of them was the big bad wolf. He had been taken away from her by somebody, she just didn’t know who. Why? Why would somebody turn her fairytale into a nightmare? She put the heels of her hands over her eyes and pushed on them, trying to block out everything that was happening. If she didn’t believe it then it wasn’t real. Eventually she felt her feet hit the floor, a pair of hands at her sides trying to steady her. She risked opening her eyes for a second only to find that she was still there. The second they let her go she collapsed to the ground, hands clamping back over her face and her entire body curling in on itself. Why should she stand? Why was she here? They didn’t want her here, she was next to be eaten alive, she just wanted to wake up. She just barely heard the door behind her close, somebody moving it gently. Looking between her fingers she saw the ghost wander across the room, pale as the dead. She watched her sigh, her whole body falling in the motion. “Ophelia…” It was a word she recognized but didn’t know the meaning of. “Ophelia, please, it’s going to be alright.” She clenched her teeth and covered her eyes again, trying to pull her limbs even closer to her body. Just a dream. Wake up. “He’s gone…” The sound that escaped her mouth was something strangled, something that had the life ripped from it. The words burned her tongue. “He’s gone… he’s gone, he’s gone…” “Not forever, though. You’ll see him again.” “He’s gone… he promised he wouldn’t leave but he’s gone… Why did he leave?” “He didn’t want to leave. It wasn’t his fault-” “Why did you make him leave?!” Her head whipped up, glare cold as ice. “I don’t know who did it, but it wasn’t me.” “Why, why, why, WHY?!” She scrambled to her feet, stumbling around the room in a dazed stupor. It’s just a dream it’s all just a dream wakeupwakeupwakeup. “Why did you vote him off?!” “You know I never would vote for Victor-” “How should I know that?! I thought I knew he wouldn’t be gone, where is he now?!” Her hands curled around a lamp and ripped it from the wall, flinging it at the ghost with her full strength. The ghost ducked away, falling onto the floor as the lamp shattered on the wall behind her. “Ophelia, please stop!” Wake up wake up. She shuffled through the drawers, chucking objects at the other being in the room. The sickening sounds of impact didn’t throw her off. Wake up please wake up. When her hands hit the bottom of the drawer she knotted her fingers in her hair, letting out a wail. It was followed by a choked whimper slipping from her throat. “O-Ophelia…” “No. Get out.” “Please, I just-” “Get out.” She found her way to the door, opening for it for the other entity. She still lingered. “Oph-” “Get out. Get out, get out, GET OUT!” She grabbed the ghost, nails dragging along her arms, and pushed her through the door. She slammed it behind her and her hands fumbled with the locks. Get out stay out please stay away. Once the locks were secure she slid down to the ground again, pulling at her hair and scraping at her scalp. It’s only a dream. Wake up. Please wake up. “Welcome, welcome, welcome to the RealityGossip Behind the Scenes Video Blog: Late Night Edition.” Minerva grinned at her video camera. “This, as I hope you all know, is my room, and it’s where we’ll be shooting this extended blog post for as long as we can! It’s been almost an hour since the elimination ceremony and… well, let’s just say it’s not going so well for The Emmys. Our token drama king has left the building.” “I love how you just skipped right over the whole Ophelia situation.” Minerva glared towards the source of the new voice. “I was getting to that!” She turned back to the camera. “Since this is a special video, I have a few cohosts. My lovely roommate Risty,” She turned the camera to show the athlete sitting in the corner of the room eating from a box of crackers. “And then there’s Monique… again…” She turned the camera to show the trendsetter sitting on the floor in front of Minerva’s bed. “To be honest, she sort of invited herself.” Risty pitched in. When Monique sneered at her, she shrugged. “Not that we don’t like you or anything.” “Whatever.” Monique gave her a-talk-to-the-hand gesture. “Okay, back to the show now.” Minerva interrupted. “Our first guest is actually our only teammate willing to come here tonight. He needs some time to kill since his room’s rather lonely without a roommate-” “I never said that!” “Please welcome Wes!” The camera turned to show the musician sitting awkwardly in the corner of the room. “So, our good guy got to go bad in the last challenge when he really got into the role of the werewolf. Why didn’t you ever mention that you were so fast?” “I've ran before. I guess nobody ever noticed.” Wes replied with a grin. “Can I just say I was impressed?” Risty commented. “I thought I was fast, but I got caught.” “By Cara.” Monique added, promptly getting a handful of crackers thrown in her face. “What? I’m just making a point.” “Just like you beat the dead horse with your ‘hormonal teenagers’ point last blog?” Risty countered. “Oh! While we’re on the subject of stupid teenagers,” Minerva pointed towards Wes, who looked around the room as though she should be pointing at somebody else. “What did you think about Avery’s plot at the end of the challenge?” “Please don’t bring that up.” Wes rolled his eyes. “I was stupid for falling for it, she was evil for coming up with it, they shouldn’t have won, and I’m leaving it at that.” “How’d you think that made you look?” “I just said it: stupid. Not as stupid as when I was hanging upside down from a tree, but I think it takes second place.” “And what’s all this I’m hearing about Bas swooping in and trying to be the hero at the end?” Risty asked. “I wasn’t there, but I’m guessing it was a surprise?” “Oh yeah, I was shocked. I’d actually completely forgotten about him.” “How?” Monique sneered. “Sebastian’s everywhere! He can have nothing to do with something but somehow be involved. It’s kind of scary.” “Wait, so what did he do?” Minerva questioned, trying to ignore her friend’s very true rant. “Come in and get rid of Avery and Allison for you?” “Ha, no way.” Wes shook his head. “He wasn’t there to help me. Sebastian hates me.” “I’m sure he doesn’t. You’re not easy to hate.” Monique crossed her arms, for once not verbally tearing a teammate to shreds. “No, he does.” Risty stated. “He’s mentioned it a few times. I have no idea why-” “Okay, next question.” Minerva struggled to steer the topic away from Sebastian. Just talking about him made her shudder in her seat. “What’s your reaction to Victor’s elimination?” Wes frowned. “Surprised. Sad. A bit ticked. He might have kind of been a jerk, but he was still my closest friend here.” “But you’ll finally be able to sleep.” Monique remarked. The musician didn’t laugh. “I guess.” “Did you see the elimination coming?” “Not at all. Actually, I thought he had some kind of mini-alliance with Sebastian. Guess not.” Wes’s turned from the camera, instead looking over at Risty and Monique. “I actually have no idea how it happened. Donna and I voted for Sebastian, and Ophelia and Victor definitely didn’t-” “WHY?! Why did you vote him off?!” Wes’s jaw snapped shut in response to the screams echoing from the hallway. “I thought I knew he wouldn’t be gone, where is he now?!” The sound of Ophelia’s voice was muffled, all four Emmys listening in silence as it was accompanied by the rattle of something breaking. There were several loud thumps and the sound of shattering before Ophelia’s wails were accompanied by another voice. “Ophelia, please stop!” Donna was desperate, her voice cracking as they heard more crashing. Ophelia continued wailing until the shouts turned to sobs. It was quiet for a moment, and the four Emmys exchanged expressions of fear. Minerva put the camera on the desk, her shaking hands unable to keep it steady. “I… I think she stopped.” “GET OUT!” “Oh, gosh, no she didn’t!” Minerva jumped at her teammate’s screech, falling off her chair. When she landed on the carpet, she scooted over until she was beside Monique, suddenly too afraid to sit alone. “GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!” Ophelia’s voice was at its full power, probably carrying across the entire film set. Donna made noises of protest, but all her teammates heard was a door slamming shut. Risty, Monique, Minerva, and Wes stared at the door to Minerva and Risty’s room, nobody daring to be the first to speak. “Do you think she’s okay?” Wes asked after another minute of silence. “Donna or Ophelia?” Monique questioned, ignoring the frightened Minerva that was latched to her arm. “Donna. Clearly Ophelia isn’t.” “Who cares?” Knock knock. “Oh my god, it’s Ophelia!” Minerva screeched, her iron grip on Monique getting even tighter. “I don’t think it is.” Risty disagreed. “Ophelia wouldn’t have knocked." The curly haired girl got up and headed towards the door, Minerva protesting the entire time. The athlete opened the door a crack, poking just her head through it. Donna stood in the hallway looking frazzled and downright miserable. “Oh, hey, are you okay?” “I take it you could hear what was going on?” The smart aleck’s voice was quiet, her tone lacking its usual bite. “How could I not?” Risty answered. “So are you fine?” “I’m okay. Most of her throws missed.” “Good. Nobody wants to see you in first aid again.” It was meant to be a joke, but Donna remained stoic. “Are you going to go back in there?” “I can’t. She locked the door.” Donna fidgeted, running her fingers through her hair. “Actually, I was here to ask if you wouldn’t mind me sleeping here tonight. It doesn’t seem like she’s going to be letting me in any time soon.” “I’d say yes, but I don’t know if you would want to…” Instead of explaining further, Risty opened the door all the way. The brunette peeked around her to see three more of their teammates inside. While Minerva and Monique just stared at her, Wes got to his feet the second he saw Donna in the doorway. “Are you okay?” The musician asked. “I’m fine. I’m not that fragile.” Donna’s eyes shifted back to Risty. “What exactly are you guys doing in here?” The athlete smirked. “We’re filming for Minerva’s blog.” “The RealityGossip Behind the Scenes Video Blog: Late Night Edition!” Minerva corrected. “Yeah, that. Me, Minerva, and Monique are going to be filming as long as possible. Wes was our first guest, but Ophelia freaking out kind of stopped the interview.” “Is this going on the internet?” Donna asked, gesturing towards the camera. “Live feed, actually.” Minerva stated as Monique pushed her away. “Then I guess I’ll find somewhere else to stay.” “Maybe you could use Monique’s room?” Risty offered, turning around to look at the trendsetter. Monique made eye contact with Donna and curtly replied, “No.” The smart aleck started to walk away, clearly offended by the refusal. “I guess I’ll just sleep in the confessional or something.” “Wait!” Wes darted after her, putting a hand on her arm in an attempt to make her stop. “You can sleep with me!” “Ooooooooh.” Minerva broke into a mocking sing-song from back inside the room, Monique snickering along beside her. “Not like that!” Wes glared over his shoulder at them. “Victor’s side of the room is empty. It’s a free bed, at least until Ophelia calms down.” “I’d rather sleep in the confessional.” Donna kept walking, Wes instantly following. “What? Why?” “You’re a close male friend, I seem vulnerable, and this place is crawling with cameras and paparazzi. Rumors can tell some nasty lies.” “Yeah, so?” They retreated down the hall, Risty closing the door behind them. Inside the room, Minerva was picking up her camera. “Um, I don’t know if I’m sorry you had to see that or happy we got it on film.” She gave the gadget an awkward grin. “Whoops.” “Well, you look cheerful.” Irina quirked an eyebrow as Avery collapsed into the seat across from her the next day. The drama queen gave the model a roll of her eyes and started to peel the banana she had snagged from the kitchen. “You act like I’m usually a ray of sunshine.” “Well, you usually don’t walk in here looking ready to kill somebody.” Irina paused, and then corrected herself, “Actually, I take that back.” Avery bit into her banana like she was imagining she was biting somebody’s head off. “You’re telling me you didn’t hear Ophelia last night?” “I happened to bring a pair of ear plugs for times like this.” The drama queen sneered and put on a fake innocent look, speaking in a mockingly high pitched voice. “It was hours and hours of ‘baaaawww Victor! Waaaahhhh I’m sad and lonely and absolutely insane, baaawwww’!” “Just be glad she decided not to show up for breakfast.” Irina scanned the room discreetly. “Actually, most of The Emmys didn’t.” “Maybe they all quit.” Avery looked over her shoulder to see that only Sebastian, Monique, and Minerva sat at The Emmys’ table. “It’d be real nice to have Risty out of here before the merge.” “I’m sure that won’t be for a while. World Tour didn’t merge until, like, the final seven.” “I can only hope that happens. I have a lovely list of people who I want gone before they can try to send me home.” “I don’t know if I should be frightened by that or totally unsurprised.” Irina grinned. “Don’t worry. You’re definitely not one of them.” That was when Cara slid into the seat beside Irina, Avery making a sour face at the nature lover’s presence. The usually perky girl was missing some of her spunk, though, and Irina gave her an awkward shrug. “Sorry that I only had one pair of ear plugs.” “It’s fine. It’s not your fault she’s upset.” Cara’s eyes wandered to the fruit Avery was eating. “Hey, where’d you get that?” The drama queen gave her a sneer. “I pulled it out my a-” “The kitchen!” Irina interrupted, quickly slapping a hand over Avery’s mouth. “She got it from the kitchen. Right?” She glared at Avery, who reluctantly nodded. “Huh. I guess nobody was feeling up to making breakfast this morning.” Cara commented. “It’s not much of a breakfast when nobody was up before noon.” The model replied, disregarding Avery snarling about Ophelia from behind her palm. “Good point.” Cara left the table as quickly as she appeared, heading straight for the kitchen. When she was out of earshot, Avery pushed Irina’s hand away from her. “What was that for?!” “Honestly, you need to just leave some people alone.” Irina ordered. “Cara’s a nice girl. You don’t have to be like that towards her just because she got the guy you want.” Avery snorted. “You really think I want Isaac? If I wanted him I could have him.” “If that’s what you want to believe, I’m not stopping you.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “Just leave Cara alone. As if it wasn’t bad enough that you secretly made out with her almost-boyfriend.” “Oh, don’t even start with me on that topic.” Avery jabbed a finger at Irina, a mischievous smile on her face. “Who was the one knocking teeth with Captain America last challenge?” The model held up her hands defensively. “It was for the challenge. Paul-” “Everybody knows you’re attractive, Irina. There’s no need to prove it.” “It was for his good, not mine.” She insisted. “I swear. I was just doing it to thank him for helping me with the paintball war.” Avery’s teasing grin never faded as she continued eating her breakfast. “You can’t tell me you didn’t have some fun with it though.” “You’re right. I can’t tell you that.” A smirk crawled onto her face. “The Boy Scout’s a good kisser.” Avery dropped her banana on the table and Irina started laughing. After letting her friend’s words sink in for a minute, Avery eventually joined her. Confession Cam Avery: “So Irina’s not on my Boot Off Soon List, but here are a few people who are.” Surprisingly, Avery pulled out an actual list and began to read from it. “Cara, who is rather useless and no fun, Allison for acting rudely towards me and so I can have my own room, Isaac for… well, everything, Risty because she’s scary good at challenges, Sebastian because he’s also scary good at challenges and a bit intimidating, Ophelia because she’s a whack job, Monique because she seems like she could try and steal my spotlight…” The brunette looked up at the camera and narrowed her eyes. “That’s just a taste of it. It’s pretty much everybody.” Knock knock. “Ophelia?” Knock knock. “Opheliaaaa?” Risty stood outside of Room 208 with a bowl of cereal in her hands. “Ophelia, I know you’re in there.” There was no answer. “We all know you’re upset, so you don’t have to hide in there all day.” When the only response was another awkward silence, Risty sighed. “Well, if you’re feeling hungry I brought you some cereal. I know it’s a little late for breakfast… well, a lot late actually, but I figured you’d want some. And if you need somebody to talk to, I’m available, or I’m sure Minerva wouldn’t mind.” As Risty waited for Ophelia to respond, the door to the neighboring room opened with a creak. Donna silently walked into the hallway with uncombed hair, dark circles beneath her eyes, and the same wrinkled clothing as the previous day on. Risty gave her a sympathetic glance. “I take it she didn’t let you back in your room?” Donna just shook her head, and Risty’s concerned look turned to a smirk. “I thought you said you’d rather sleep in the confessional than-” “Snicker all you want, this is not what it looks like, we are just friends, it was my best option.” Donna recited the words like a chant as she trudged down the hallway. A minute later, Wes exited the room and sent Risty an awkward grin. “What she said.” He gave her an equally as awkward half-wave before following Donna down the hall. When they left, Risty turned back to knock on the door one more time. “I’m still here, Ophelia. I think we’re the last people on the floor actually.” She waited again for an answer, and when she didn’t receive one sat on the floor, the bowl of cereal in her lap. “I can’t even imagine how bad you feel right now, but I’m trying to. I know why you’re upset, but I think the eliminations have a bad effect on all of us. Remember seeing Cara after what happened with Camille?” Risty paused to think, resting her chin on her hand. “We had only known each other for a few challenges, but when Zack left I was really upset. I felt so guilty because I had voted for him. It’s like maybe I could have done something to save him, but instead all I did was help him get voted off. I blamed myself. Sometimes I still wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t been eliminated. After only knowing each other for a few days, I had already felt like he and I were just meant to be friends. We had a connection. You and Victor were a lot closer than Zack and I, so I can’t imagine how upset I would be if I were in your shoes. I know a few people think that your whole relationship wasn’t real because it was so fast, and I’m sure you think that everybody thinks that you’re being crazy, but if it helps I definitely don’t think that.” Risty sat straight up when she heard the lock on the door click. “…Ophelia?” The door swung open just a crack. Risty stood up and approached the door, tentatively putting a hand on it. “Is it okay if I come in? I brought cereal.” When she didn’t answer, Risty took a leap of faith and stepped into the room. After a few hours passed, interns ushered the cast mates from their various locations in the hotel to the lobby. Even Ophelia was forced from hiding, sitting quietly in the corner of the room with her knees to her chest and trying to ignore the cold glances in her direction. There they all waited for something to happen. Maybe Chris barging into the room adorned in a themed costume? Rachel Claire in a stereotypically grouchy mood with a coffee in hand? A celebrity cameo? “Okay, what gives?” Monique remarked after several minutes of waiting. “Maybe they forgot about us?” Paul suggested. “Or there’s a surprise that they’re working on?” “I don’t know, but I’d prefer not to wait around forever.” Angel got up from his perch on the back of one of the armchairs and walked for the front door. “Anybody up for seeing if that milkshake machine works on the diner set?” The pyromaniac pushed the double doors open only to be greeted with a flurry of flashes. A barrage of paparazzi had gathered at the front of the building and swarmed the Oscar. “Angel! Over here, Angel!” “Mr. Dominguez! Upper left, please!” “Look, behind him! I think I see the others!” As the paparazzi pushed to get into the building, Angel closed the door on them and turned around to face the others. “I think I found our challenge.” “Gee, you think?” Rachel Claire emerged from one of the hallways leading into the lobby with her usual coffee cup in hand. She shoved Angel aside and threw open the double doors despite the competitors’ protests. At the sight of her, the paparazzi shushed. “That’s better.” The contestants gaped at the scene. “How did you-?” “These people are my staff!” Rachel Claire announced, baring her teeth in a proud smile. “And they’re also a big part of the challenge you’ll be competing in tonight.” She casually took a sip of her coffee and then turned around, lifting her hands in the air. At the motion, the paparazzi started shifting. Soon the crowd split in half, the image appearing as though Rachel Claire had parted the seas. With a flip of her hair she gestured to the contestants. “Come with me!” The group exchanged hesitant glances before choosing to do as she said. Some of the paparazzi reached out for them as they passed, but none dared to touch because Rachel Claire was in the lead. She let out a low laugh as she confidently marched through the crowd. “Oh, how I love being in charge.” Rachel Claire led the cast to a large, rather nondescript building beside the warehouse used for the music video challenge. When she opened the door to lead them inside, they were faced with the sight of several odd looking people. Their array of wildly styled hair and frighteningly colored outfits made them look like an army of clowns. The group was fronted by a polished man in an all-black wardrobe with rather stylish facial hair. Rachel Claire joined the group, exchanging air kisses with the man and then facing the contestants. “Your challenge for today is a RealityGossip red carpet appearance.” She explained. “You will walk the red carpet tonight and then will do a press conference to promote the show in front of Major City’s best celebrity stalkers and fans. The winning team will be determined both on looks and treatment of the reporters and their questions. I know some of you are probably thinking of blowing off the questions, but trust me, you’ll want to reconsider since there’s a twist: the bottom two and elimination tonight will be based half off of your votes and half off of the fans’.” “Oh, darling, that’s so typical of you.” The leader of the strange looking group hung off of Rachel Claire’s shoulder, his movements flourished with a feminine hand wave. “But you didn’t mention us.” “I’m getting there.” Rachel Claire sneered. “Everybody, this is Ramzi, RealityGossip’s resident style king. He’s in charge of the styling team who will be attempting to make you guys look attractive for tonight. I don’t think that’s possible for some of you, so hopefully you’ll look vaguely attractive when they’re done with you.” “Oh, please, I don’t think I’d ever let somebody leave my chair looking unattractive.” Ramzi insisted. “We’ll make you all gorgeous. Don’t worry.” As he spoke, his crew began to step closer and closer towards the contestants. Rachel Claire stepped off to the side, exiting the room with a wave. “Good luck!” Once the door shut, the wardrobe crew attacked. “Oh, honey, I know you’re into that earthy thing, but are you aware of the existence of moisturizer?” Cara had found herself shoved into a chair by a skinny woman with baby pink hair. The woman had taken a sketch of somebody that looked like Cara in an orange dress from her pocket, taping it to the mirror in front of her. “You would look so much better if you just wore some eyeliner.” The stylist took out a makeup brush and stared at it tentatively. “You have the most beautiful eyes.” “Her image is all natural,” commented the older stylist who was playing with Angel’s hair in the chair beside Cara. “Everything you do to her has to be subtle.” “Ugh, fine.” The pink-haired woman began to put powder on Cara’s face. The nature lover looked over to the other stylist and gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you so much.” “Don’t worry about it.” The smile she gave Cara was accented by her deep purple lipstick. “I know you don’t want Isaac to lose interest.” “Oh, of course I don’t.” Cara turned away from her, a blush heating up her face. Beside her, Angel raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping. “Baby, don’t be embarrassed.” The pink-haired stylist put a gentle hand on Cara’s shoulder, distracting her as she jabbed at her with a stick of eyeliner. “I’ve been keeping up with the episodes. Your crush isn’t exactly a secret.” “It stopped being a secret when you kissed him,” pitched in the older stylist. “I probably shouldn’t have done that. We haven’t talked about it since.” Cara sighed. “Maybe he just doesn’t know what to say. He probably doesn’t want to completely deny me in front of the cameras.” The two stylists sighed along with her, the three females lost in a dreamy trance. “Isaac doesn’t want to deny you.” Angel interrupted their stupor. Cara stared at him. “…What?” “Isaac hasn’t been avoiding you because he wants to deny you. He’s just had to work some things out.” Angel explained. “And now that he’s figured it all out, he’s not really sure how to approach this whole relationship thing.” “Are you… are you sure?” Cara’s large eyes had gone even wider. “Positive.” The nature lover beamed, dodging her stylist and leaning across the chairs to hug Angel. “You don’t even understand how much you’ve made my day right now! You really are an angel!” “No problem.” Angel winced at the cheesy line. “Now please don’t ever say that again.” Allison wandered through the warehouse of clothing racks searching for anything she liked in her size. Ramzi had picked out a dress for her, something tight, black, and one-sleeved, and it had only taken a few combat boot themed threats to convince him that she could pick out her own wardrobe. It turned out Rachel Claire’s style guru was reasonably afraid of getting footprints on his face. After a few minutes, the daredevil began to hear skittering noises nearby. She glanced a few clothing aisles over to see Paul standing with his hands buried in the racks of fabric. She watched in silence as he fidgeted with the clothes, moving the hangers back and forth for no reason. From what she could see of his face, he looked dazed and completely unaware of what he was doing. Allison approached her friend quietly, trying to stay calm when she asked, “Are you okay?” Paul literally leapt a foot off of the ground. “Hey, calm down! It’s just me.” “Oh, I’m sorry.” Paul rubbed at his arm, not making eye contact with Allison. “I didn’t see you there. I’m perfectly fine. What’s up?” “I should be asking you that.” The goth leaned against a clothing rack. “And don’t say you’re fine because you look like crap.” “Ramzi wouldn’t like to hear you say that.” Paul tried to laugh, but it came out choked. Allison furrowed her brow and the Boy Scout slumped. “Okay, fine, I’m nervous for the challenge.” “Why? It’s pretty much just a repeat of the first episode, isn’t it? We get asked questions by nosy reporters.” “No, it’s different.” Paul spoke in a hushed voice, his eyes trained on the floor. “This time it’s not video cameras. It’s for a magazine, so there’ll be photographers.” “Yeah, and?” Allison watched in confusion as Paul crouched behind the clothing rack, looking up at her with frantic eyes. “I was hoping this wouldn’t come up, but I kind of have a phobia.” “Of reporters?” Allison questioned when he paused. “No, of flashing lights. Seriously, it says I have selaphobia on the papers I filled out for the show. Flashes of light make me panic.” Paul admitted, his voice quick and quiet. Allison gave him a compassionate smile. “Well, that’s fine. I think everybody has an irrational fear. Like, everyone thinks I’m totally fearless, but I’m freakishly afraid of dogs.” “It’s not irrational, though.” Paul corrected her. “My best… my ex-best friend had photosensitive epilepsy. A few years ago we received an award for Boy Scouts and we had to get our picture taken for a few newspapers.” “I take it he had a bad reaction?” Allison asked. “You could say that-” “YOU GET BACK HERE!” Paul’s words were cut short by a holler from Ramzi that carried through the entire warehouse. “Oh please, like I’m going to listen to you!” The do-gooder and daredevil looked up to see Avery stomp into the room wearing nothing but her bra and miniskirt. “AVERY!” “I think I know what I look good in, thank you very much!” She gave Ramzi the finger before she started to walk across the room. A smirk appeared on her face when she saw Allison and Paul. “Well, look who I found.” She pointed at Allison and gave her a knowing glare. “We need to talk.” Paul’s attention was grabbed. “What is she talking about-?” “Nothing. Give me a minute, Avery.” Allison kept her back to the half-naked drama queen, putting a hand on each of Paul’s arms. “Listen, your fear is totally normal. Everybody has that one thing that makes them panic. I know you don’t like to look weak if you don’t have to, but I think you should tell somebody else what’s going on in case something happens.” “That’s kind of why I told you when you asked.” “I mean somebody else.” Allison clarified. “I can’t tell you what’s going on yet, but I’ll probably have to stay with somebody else on the red carpet. You need to find another person who’ll help you out. Somebody you trust. Ask Irina maybe. She’s good with cameras.” Paul brushed her hands off of him, his concerns clearly not for himself anymore as he glanced over her head at Avery. “What are you doing with Avery, Allison? Do you have an alliance with her or something?” “You’ll find out eventually.” “Does Angel know?” “No. He doesn’t need to know anything about this.” Allison’s eyes were desperate. “Now please don’t say anything to anybody. You’re my friend, so you’ll find out what’s going on, just not yet.” Paul hesitated a moment before giving her a trusting nod. “Okay.” Confession Cam Paul: “Allison was definitely right when she said I don’t like to look weak. I always know what I’m doing. I just happen to have one big weakness that hopefully I can overcome tonight. I told Irina what’s going on and she reacted as sympathetically as expected. She's fine with staying with me for the challenge. I feel kind of ridiculous asking her to do this, but it’s better than causing a scene.” The Boy Scout rested his chin on his hand. “I just wish I knew what was going on with Allison. She hates Avery, so I can’t imagine her having something private to talk about with her. And if she’s not telling Angel then it has to be something serious.” “Welcome, everybody, to a RealityGossip red carpet event!” A woman with a raspy voice stood in front of the camera. Her face looked frozen into a smile, and her blonde bob was hair sprayed to perfection. She was on the edge of the red carpet surrounded in other reporters and fans. Behind her, a girl was holding a sign above her head that read ‘Marry Me Isaac!’ “I’m Mona Brooks reporting live from the carpet. Today, you guys are in for a treat: the cast of Total Drama Island: For Your Entertainment is here! Those screwballs are actually doing a challenge here tonight. That’s right, the cast will actually be attending a press conference tonight. You’ll see them interacting with a few stars, including me, sassy blogger Chavez Milton, fashion guru Ramzi, and more!” A limousine pulled up at the end of the carpet and Mona grinned. “Oh, here’s the queen of the night! Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Rachel Claire!” Rachel Claire stepped out of the limo wearing sky high heels and a barely there gladiator-themed outfit. She walked the carpet like a true professional, pausing just long enough for photos but avoiding any interviews. She eventually ended up at Mona’s side and was handed another microphone. “Hello, RealityGossip Editor-in-Chief Rachel Claire here and I think we have a lot in store for you tonight.” She grinned at the camera, her signature hair bouncing around her face. “We have the remaining fourteen For Your Entertainment contestants here for interviews, as well as host Chris McLean. That’s right, you’ll get to see all your favorites: from scheming Sebastian to iridescent Irina, mouthy Monique to compassionate Cara, they’re all here!” Another limousine pulled up and Chris McLean stepped out of it. He looked absolutely ecstatic to be there, which Mona and Rachel Claire couldn’t help but notice. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Chris at an event like this.” Mona Brooks commented. “He doesn’t look a day over ninety four.” Rachel Claire nodded. “He’s been taking a lot of time for his favorite person: himself. You can even tell that he doesn’t care that much this season. Seems all he wants is the money.” “Really, though, what's that outfit choice?” Mona grimaced. “He couldn’t have at least cleaned up a little?” Many of the fans leaned over the velvet ropes holding them back to grab at Chris or attempt to get an autograph. He stopped for one or two reporters but was off the carpet in a few minutes, exiting into the building. “That was fast.” Mona commented. “I think he has a lot to work on inside.” Rachel Claire stated. “Either that or he’s looking for a mirror.” That was when another limousine pulled up at the curb, this one much longer than the first two. The crowd began to roar around the reporters, all aware of exactly who would be inside. Mona’s permanent smile grew impossibly larger. She tried to say something, but was drowned out by the screaming fans. The camera turned to show the door to the limo opening. Monique was the first to step in front of the crowd, looking as comfortable as could be with all the attention. She posed for a few pictures as Minerva exited the vehicle, walking past her and getting caught up by the first reporter, a man with deep blue hair and a nerdy sweater on. “Looks like they’re already giving interviews!” Mona shouted over the crowd. “I guess we’ll be heading down there to try and chat! I’ll be seeing you later tonight!” She gave the camera a dramatic wave before she and Rachel Claire joined the other reporters waiting for the cast. Confession Cam Monique: “It was nice being the first on the red carpet and knowing nobody else would be in my pictures. I think the photographers loved my dress, a Monique Darling original with accessories and hair by Ramzi.” She winked at the camera as though she was giving an advertisement. “Just look me up to find my website, fans.” Minerva: “I. Met. Chavez. Milton!” The blonde squealed. “Seriously, he’s like half the reason I accepted the video blog from Rachel Claire! He’s, like, my blogging idol! I like him possibly even more than I like Helen D’Angelo!” “Hey, thanks for doing this.” “It’s no problem. Really.” The entire limousine had been emptied and the cast was swallowed by the crowd of reporters. Irina had linked her hand with Paul’s to keep him close by her side as they faced the flashing lights. “I owe you big time.” Paul muttered to the model, smiling but subtly flinching as a few cameras took pictures of them. His heartbeat was racing and spots filled the corner of his eyes, but he was able to pretend he was fine. “Anything you want. Really.” “It’s what a good friend would do.” Irina kept changing her facial expression and angle for the photographers, the model in her breaking out. Paul was only a prop as he stood stiff as a statue beside her, his smile unmoving but his hands shaking. “But if I think of something I’ll consider the offer.” “Well, look who we have here!” A slim Asian reporter approached the beauty queen and Boy Scout, a camera following her. “Paul Adams and Irina Rostropovich, everybody! And my, my, you guys are looking fine tonight.” Irina was quick to answer the reporter, Paul staying by her side with a smile on his face. He scanned the crowd, trying to ignore the lights and find Allison. He saw Risty and Sebastian giving an interview nearby, the young reporter speaking to them looking ready to faint because their presence. Isaac stood alone farther down the carpet, signing the chest of an enthusiastic female fan. Eventually he spotted the daredevil’s deep red hair showing just barely over a reporter’s shoulder. Allison seemed comfortable at Angel’s side as they posed for a few pictures, though Paul couldn’t help but remain suspicious. Earlier Allison had sounded like she was obligated to stay with somebody else on the red carpet. “Paul? Hey, Paul?” Irina jarred him out of his thoughts with an elbow to the side. “She’s talking to you.” “Oh, sorry.” He turned to look at the reporter. “Could you repeat the question?” “Being one of the last guys in the game, do you feel threatened by the obvious gender imbalance?” Paul definitely hadn’t expected that. “Not yet. Maybe when the merge comes, but right now I haven’t really noticed.” “Well, of course you haven’t.” The reporter grinned. “You only seem to have eyes for Irina. You guys seem awfully close tonight, especially considering what happened during the vampire challenge.” “I guess you’ll have to watch the rest of this episode to find out why.” Irina answered, her voice full of mystery. Paul laughed at her response, suddenly glad that it was her and not Allison handling the interviewers with him. “Ophelia! Ophelia, look over here!” “To your right, Ophelia! Miss Escher!” “Ophelia Escher! Over here, please!” The artist trudged slowly down the red carpet, her white dress flowing around her feet. Her green eyes were dead, looking straight ahead and ignoring all of the reporters around her. They had no idea what was going on, they had no idea how alone she felt in that crowd of people. “Miss Escher!” One of the reporters put a hand on her arm, her pale pink skin clashing with his deep tan. She refused to look up at him as he and a woman commented about her outfit, about her hair, about the red rimming her eyes. “How do you feel about the results of the last elimination?” It was then that her head snapped up, her eyes wide. She did nothing but stare at the two reporters, her gaze hauntingly blank. They did not seem to understand what was going on, the female laughing awkwardly into her microphone. “Aw, I guess she’s just camera shy.” The man laughed along. “If Victor was here with her, she definitely wouldn’t be.” It was as though somebody had flipped a switch, the silent, unresponsive figure in white instantly turning into a monster. Ophelia let out a wail and pounced on the male reporter, knocking him to the ground. She clawed at his suit, keeping her face close to his. “Take it back!” She hissed, her tired eyes wide. “Why did you have to say his name? You shouldn’t talk about him! You’re not good enough to talk about him!” “I-I’m sorry!” The reporter flinched away from her. “I didn’t mean to! Please let go of me!” Ophelia didn’t let go of his shirt, wouldn’t break eye contact. “He didn’t deserve it! He should be here with me! He would be so good at this, and instead I’m here alone! He should be here!” “Ophelia, please get off of me!” Again, she didn’t recognize her own name. Instead, she continued to glare at this man, knowing that it should have been Victor’s eyes she was looking into. As the cameras flashed around her, she spiraled more and more out of control. <<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>>